Man Like That
by Kinky-Hoe
Summary: AU. Kagome's job is to give advice to self-conscious, average women, since it's the story of her life. Struck by a curse that makes her attractive only to already taken men, she can't help but laugh at romance, marriage, lovesick girls, etc. When her ridiculously perfect sister turns into a bride, she shrugs it off. Until she's told the groom is the guy who used to persecute her.
1. Really Wanna Wake You

_A word from Ms. Kinky:_

This story was supposed to be published _years ago_, when, remember, I had a poll and many readers were interested in reading this. The reason why it wasn't published is that I knew I wouldn't be able to finish it back then because I had so much bull going on. But recently, I watched the 2010 comedy film _You Again_ and I decided to change the plot a little bit and to finally work on this story.

Unlike my other stories, this one is not set in Japan. The characters will finally experience some Western Europe lifestyle (not that I ever really emphasized on Japanese habits in my previous stories but the characters most definitely won't shower the way they do in mangas). The place names I mention are totally fictional but I assure you the sceneries I describe exist…somewhere.

About possible OOC-ness: this is another story where all characters are human in an alternate universe so I think OOC-ness is kind of inevitable. I think Kagome and Kikyo might seem a lot more out of character than the others but if you really think about it, they're not because a) Kagome was always a bit self-conscious and compared herself to Kikyo and b) before the whole protect-the-Jewel-then-get-yourself-killed-then-come-back-to-life-as-a-zombie thing, she was actually a caring sister.

The story is told from Kagome's point of view, except for the flashbacks.

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><p><strong>Blanket disclaimer:<strong> InuYasha is copyrighted by Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, Sunrise and Viz. I make no profit from this story.

**General warnings:** language, explicit sex, more language, more sex, etc.

_"Man Like That" © 2011 Gin Wigmore._

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><p><strong>Man Like That<strong>

**Chapter One: Really Wanna Wake You**

The fun thing about life is that when you think you're on top of the world, something is bound to happen so that your ass is dragged back down. This is exactly what I thought six months ago, when my dear mother called me to break the news, to tell me that Kikyo was getting married, Kikyo being my eldest sister.

A part of me was definitely happy about this because I loved my sister dearly. Kikyo had always been a role model, someone to look up to and as weird as this may sound, I can't remember ever getting into a fight with her. So maybe we once fought over a teddy bear when we were kids but that's about it. Kikyo is three years older than me and although I wouldn't say she is like a mother to me, I spent years adoring her and she really babied me.

Now, you might probably wonder why Kikyo didn't call herself since we got along so well. Kikyo knew nothing would have made my mother happier than to break the news to _everyone_, the grocery store clerks included. Let's say that my sister is selfless like that. And honestly, I'd rather have my mother tell me those kinds of things instead of someone else; at least, she wouldn't notice that I'm not particularly ecstatic.

Hm.

Yes, let's talk about the other part of me, the one that wasn't exactly happy about my sister getting married. See, I currently live in Brightdale, a fairly big town known for its summer festivals and heritage sites of national significance. Brightdale is located on Arrowhead Lake, which attracts tourists and celebrities from all over the world and you can imagine how expensive life is but it's fine for me because I'm twenty-five and the most popular columnist for _Jakotsu Orikasa_, the self-titled magazine of a renowned fashion designer. By now, you must have realized that I'm quite the busy person so I haven't seen my family in years—because Christmas doesn't count—and Kikyo getting married meant that I had to go back to my hometown, Snowhall.

The day I learned that Kikyo was tying the knot was the day my column received an award from a non-profit organization, which meant that I was getting a raise by the end of the year. Squeals!

So that day, I got to perform a short speech in front of our freshly hired columnists.

"You know, seeing you guys sitting here in front of me and looking at me with hopeful eyes reminds me that not so long ago, I still had no idea what a columnist was."

They laughed.

"See, I first attended the University of Wolfton and got my bachelor's degree in psychology, and then I decided to live in Belhaven, where I got my master's degree in social sciences—I knew how to write but I certainly didn't know how to encourage average women to live in a men's world where shape and style matter the most."

Some of them nodded.

"My column may really seem out of place when you actually grab a copy of _Jakotsu Orikasa_ and you see pictures of gorgeous female models striking submissive poses but it's challenging to remind people—women—that they really don't need the body of a heart-breaker and the mind of a fifties housewife to get what they want. So I would like to thank our chief editor, Kagura Morikawa, for giving me a chance."

They all clapped and I saw Kagura give me a faint smile in the corner of the conference room, her ruby eyes fixed on me. I also noticed my co-worker Sango Kuwashima was giving the thumbs up to my speech.

Someone—a young woman with freckles raised her hand and I nodded at her.

"Ms. Higurashi, I have a question."

Well, _of course_ this couldn't be just a _welcome losers_ speech. "Yes?"

"What do you think of the nickname columnists from other magazines give you—The Professional Boyfriend Stealer? Your personal life—"

I needed to prevent this bitch from talking too much. Damn, why did she have to bring that up? "My personal life is doing fine, young lady. As for the nickname, it is only the consequence of a misunderstanding. As you probably already know, there is a questions and answers part at the end of my column because our readers can e-mail the columnists for any advice and sometimes I feature some questions I think are relevant or funny. A young girl wrote that she was hurt when her ex-boyfriend left her for her friend, so I jokingly replied that I could always steal the boyfriend right under the ex-friend's nose, if that could help her." My audience laughed again and I added, "It was only bad luck that gossip magazines found some of my relationships interesting to the point of relating them to that sentence."

That was when someone else decided to ask a question. "Were you always this detached and strong?"

Detached and strong? That really sounded like an insult, even though it was probably meant as a compliment.

The only problem being that the answer was _no_.

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><p><em>10 Years Ago<em>

Kagome walked down the school hallway, trying to ignore the glances thrown in her direction. Some people actually stared at her in a mixture of surprise and confusion, some others glaring and scoffing. She knew she really shouldn't have been paying attention because she knew what she was doing.

Akitoki Hojo, the cutest fifteen-year-old boy of Snowhall High was holding her hand in front of everyone and it had been her choice to become his girlfriend after that school trip abroad.

So what if he used to be her friend Eri Masuda's boyfriend since middle school? People changed.

Deep down, Kagome perfectly knew that what was shocking wasn't the fact that Akitoki Hojo got himself a new girlfriend. The problem was that his new girlfriend used to be friends with his ex. The boyfriend stealer, they called her.

The raven-haired girl really wanted to flip them off. What she really did, instead, was to hide her eyes behind her thick bangs. So the blue-eyed boy dated his ex's friend but she was the only one at fault? As much as the hypocrisy was killing her, Kagome remained silent.

She still had her friends—well, except for Eri, obviously—and her group was mostly appreciated. They _were_ popular, people _liked_ her and she doubted everything would change because she was with Akitoki.

Her boyfriend leaned in to kiss her softly when they reached her classroom. He had chosen French as a second language—insert Akitoki Hojo's fangirls' squeals—but she was more into Spanish. Blushing slightly, Kagome entered the classroom and went to sit next to her childhood friend Yuka Shimizu. The words "sloppy seconds", "traitor" and "bitch" reached her ears. The brunette next to her glared at the other students and was about to say something nasty when Kagome stopped her.

"Let them talk," the doe-eyed high school girl said, shrugging, "they give my relationship with Akitoki a lot of publicity," she added, trying to sound smug.

That was exactly when two male figures slumped down the empty seats before them. The teacher was already setting her notes on her desk and the students resumed their chatting.

"Hey, Miroku, look who's there," the taller guy said to his friend, pointing at Kagome, "Hojo's girlfriend."

The teenager named Miroku turned to face her, his shoulder-length hair whipping around his face, and waved at Kagome and Yuka. "Well, Inuyasha, I must admit that she's very beautiful."

Yuka snorted, knowing what was coming next.

Miroku grabbed Kagome's hands, his deep indigo eyes staring into her brown ones. "What do you say, let's skip class? Wouldn't you like to bear my child?"

Kagome raised an eyebrow. "Why would I make babies with a guy who is still in his first year of high school at the age of eighteen?"

"You wound me, Kagome; you know I was sent to school with a little delay."

"Keep telling yourself that."

"Don't bother, Miroku," Inuyasha interrupted their friendly banter. "Unless you already have a girlfriend, she won't look at you that way."

The raven-haired girl swore she could feel the vein in her forehead throb. Everyone knew she usually didn't take shit from anybody and her friends defined her as a real spitfire. However, teachers saw her as a good student and a reserved girl so she couldn't possibly hit the asshole in front of everybody, could she?

"Why don't you shut up and get a haircut?" she hissed, eying his ridiculously long black hair.

He ignored her and glanced at the other students. Good, they caught everyone's attention. "Hey, Kagome," he said her name in a much softer tone, "why do you actually try to learn Spanish?"

Taken aback by his question, she could only blink. "Excuse me?"

"Yeah, I mean, you can't come up to anybody and just say, _'Hola, me llamo Kagome'_, right?" He smiled evilly. "What if someone hears, _'Me cago'_*, instead? Your first name should be illegal."

By the time he was done talking, every single student in the classroom was busting a gut. Even Yuka was having a hard time trying not to laugh at her childhood friend.

_I hate him,_ Kagome thought as she made her way back home. _He either makes stupid or lewd comments and I don't even know him. Who the hell does he think he is?_

"Kagome!" the soft voice of her older sister distracted her from her thoughts.

Kikyo was crossing the street so that the two of them could go home together. The sight of the eighteen-year-old brought more tears to Kagome's eyes. Her sister's straight and waist-length hair was swaying in the wind. Her perfect teeth made her smile all the more brighter and her outfit emphasized her tiny waist. Kagome was definitely having a bad day.

"What's wrong?" the older Higurashi asked. "What happened? Kagome?" Kikyo sounded alarmed, especially since her little sister had started crying. "Please, Kagome," she whispered, encircling the young girl's shoulders with her arms. "Is this about the rumors I heard?"

She received no response.

"Don't worry, I'm by your side, okay? It's just high school."

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><p>I was sipping some sparkling white wine when the conference ended because, hey, it was noon and I like having wine when there is a bunch of appetizers in front of me. I did tell the new columnists that I hadn't always been <em>"detached and strong"<em>—their words, not mine—but obviously, I spared them a few details. Who needed to know that I always attracted taken guys, that an asshole used to constantly try and make me fall from my pedestal and that I was born a drama queen? No one, really.

I grabbed my purse as soon as I was done pigging out and then Sango was in my face. "What?" I grumbled.

"You're leaving already?"

"Yeah, well, my mother tried to call me this morning and she's been sending me messages, saying I really need to go home and stuff. It's a two-and-a-half-hour drive from here and I would like to avoid traffic jams," I explained to my friend, who was actually in charge of the health column.

"I see," Sango nodded, her magenta-colored eyes scanning the room. "You told Kagura, right?"

"Of course. Tomorrow's my day-off anyway and I don't plan on staying in Snowhall any more than necessary." I slid my blazer jacket on. "I even went to that stupid interview yesterday. I really don't know why Kagura deemed it important. Shishinki Sakuta is a gossip columnist and I'm not even a celebrity."

Sango gave me _the_ look. "But Koga Matsuno is," she pointed out. "And transparency matters. Are you still seeing him?" The brunette asked as we both approached the door.

I avoided her stare because nothing made me more uncomfortable than talk about Koga Matsuno, the professional athlete. "Of course not," I muttered before dashing down the hallway.

I live a couple blocks away from my workplace so I didn't bother with public transportation. When I reached my two-bedroom apartment, I started packing some clothes and toiletries immediately. Otherwise, I knew I would have just turned into a couch potato and something told me that my mother really needed me in Snowhall. When I was done, I freshened up a little and threw my heeled shoes in a plastic bag. I could drive with them on but I decided to just wear some flats instead.

I left my apartment around two-thirty and as I started the car, I tried to ignore the nagging feeling that something was wrong.

I was on the highway when my mother called me again. I put my headphones on carefully, and then picked up—can we still say pick up the phone when all we do is actually slide to answer?

That was exactly when my mother broke the news to me and you already know the reasons why I didn't feel excited about the whole thing. Really, I was happy living alone, working for the best place ever and taking care of myself the way I saw fit. I couldn't imagine spending months helping the family with the wedding ceremony, being a bridesmaid—

"Wait, slow down, Mama," I suddenly said. "I know Kikyo is seeing someone but getting married? Do we even know the guy?" Hey, so I am a bit slow.

"Oh, Kagome," I could hear my mother chuckle on the other end of the line. "Do you think I'd let my eldest daughter marry someone I never met before?"

Of course, Kunloon Higurashi was a smart woman.

"He's a private museum curator—well, his family actually owns the museum because they've been collecting antiquities for years," my mother explained.

I honestly couldn't help but roll my eyes.

"He studied abroad and he actually met your sister in China. You do remember that Kikyo volunteered overseas to give a basic education to disadvantaged children, right?"

Because in case you didn't know, Kikyo is fluent in Chinese.

"Well, he happened to be in the same village as her to retrieve some antiquities that once belonged to the Hyoga family."

I wasn't really paying attention because I hate history, legends, mythology—those Hyoga people sounded important though and I swear my mother probably knew Kikyo's fiancé's resume by heart. I couldn't care less, personally. I just wanted to know if my mother and grandfather knew him.

"… So he proposed…" Okay, I missed the part where they fall in love, _thankfully_. "Oh and Kagome, I'm actually surprised that you don't remember Ash!" my mother exclaimed, hurting my ears in the process.

So his name was Ash? And here I thought my name wasn't easy to live with. "Why should I know him?"

"Because he was your classmate once in high school, I checked the school year group photo in your room. But I guess people didn't call him Ash until he traveled to the States, eh?" I heard my mother wonder aloud.

I was positive I never met anyone named Ash in high school. "Well, what's his name already?"

My mood was degrading quickly because I neared Wolfton, cars filled the lane and if I heard a warning of traffic jams on the radio I swore—

"Inuyasha. Inuyasha Taisho."

It really took an incredible amount of willpower not to slam on the brakes right then and there. I think my mother was still talking but I wasn't hearing anything. The cars before me were just a blur, too. All I could picture was an evil smirk, intense brown eyes and a mouth full of degrading comments.

"_Hola, Me Kago!"_

My sister couldn't possibly be marrying a man like that.

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><p>*Can be translated into "I take a crap".<p>

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><p><strong>AN:** So, what do you think? Please, review!


	2. What You're Stepping In

_"Let's Twist Again" © 1961 Chubby Checker._

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><p><strong>Chapter Two: What You're Stepping In<strong>

From right to left on Arrowhead Lake, it was Brightdale, Belhaven and Wolfton. If I had slammed on the brakes, I knew that I would have created this massive accident on the highway that connected the three main cities of the region.

Snowhall was nowhere near the lake. Mountains surrounded the small town and it was a bitch to drive all the way up there because Wolfton was only thirty minutes away by car and people who lived in the area wouldn't use public transportation but I couldn't really blame them. I knew how crappy it was since I had to use it to go to school.

"Fucking bitch!" a middle-aged man riding a scooter yelled at me as I failed to give way at a roundabout.

Hey, I'm usually a very good driver but I needed to get home _fast_. Besides, that old geezer could have used a blinker.

Inuyasha Taisho.

Inuyasha Taisho was my sister's fiancé.

Kikyo was getting married to Inuyasha Taisho.

Sorry, but I needed to make sure that I heard correctly. I was no longer on the phone with my mother since she realized I was freaking out—for the wrong reasons, she said, although they were very valid reasons in my opinion.

Kikyo Higurashi couldn't marry Inuyasha Taisho because a) he was younger than her* and b) his hair was longer than hers. I am sure I don't need to mention that my mother laughed at me and assumed I was just pretending to be against the whole thing.

Since I failed to convince my mother without badmouthing the guy, I guessed it was time to mention all the stupid comments he used to spit in my face. I did realize that happened ten years ago and in honesty, I am not the type to hold a grudge for so long (I think?) but there was a difference between forgiving Inuyasha Taisho for being a jerk and accepting him as my brother-in-law.

OH. MY. GOD.

Inuyasha Taisho was going to become my brother-in-law. As in, I was going to be his children's aunt. And knowing Kikyo, she would want me as the godmother of the tiny monsters with long, black hair and big, almond-shaped eyes. That wasn't happening. No. _No._ NO.

It was about five in the afternoon when I reached the small residential area my mother still lived in with my grandfather, my nineteen-year-old brother Sota and the family cat, Buyo. Officially, Kikyo never moved out but when she wasn't working abroad, she spent most of her time at her fiancé's house. Insert gagging noises.

I grew up in a modest, L-shaped, two-story house. Upon entering the house, the living-slash-dining room was on the left. Two doors led to the kitchen, one in the dining room and one in the corridor. On the first floor, there was also a bathroom, my grandfather's bedroom and my mother's. My own bedroom was upstairs. A large balcony connected it to Kikyo's bedroom. When I was younger, I remember sharing my bedroom with Sota, but needless to say, we couldn't go on like that forever so by the time I turned twelve, my mother emptied an old storage room and turned it in a small yet comfortable bedroom. Obviously, I wouldn't take it—I liked the balcony and Sota didn't really care; he just wanted his own room. We also had a small garden, where my mother took care of the plants she fancied, and of course a basement.

It was the house of my father's dreams and it was really a shame that he passed away a couple months after he bought it. Every time I came back, I thought of my father, so that day was no exception.

Only there were important matters at hand.

I parked my car in the driveway and I didn't even notice that my cat wasn't meowing by the small gate. My mother and grandfather were suddenly here, greeting me, smiling and jumping all over the place as if they were kids expecting their Christmas presents. I turned off the engine and got out of the car, scowling.

"Where the hell is he?" I roared.

My grandfather looked at me with narrowed eyes, deep wrinkles marking his face. He still had this funny haircut that made him look like an old samurai-turned-priest. He scratched his mustache, then asked, "Who?"

Duh. Inuyasha, of course. "Kikyo's fiancé." Funny how I couldn't say his name.

Mama laughed at me, again. The wind was messing up her short, brown hair and she ran a hand through it. "Darling, he's not here. He has a job," she stated. Her doe eyes scanned my figure briefly and she added, "You lost weight again, Kagome. Would you like a snack before everyone gets here for dinner?"

"What do you mean, 'everyone'?"

"Well, Sota and Hitomi are out to buy groceries. Kikyo and Inuyasha will arrive in a couple hours."

In case you're wondering, Hitomi Tomikasa was Sota's girlfriend. She was actually one of his childhood friends. They dated back when they both were in high school and they have been an official couple for almost two years now. We all knew Hitomi pretty well and she was overall pretty likable. She was pretty tall, slim and studying to become a veterinarian. I was excited to see her again because, really, she was a sweet girl but wait, let my mind process the full information my mother just fed me—Inuyasha was coming over?

My stomach churned and I rushed to the bathroom.

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><p>I flushed the toilet then proceeded to wash my hands. Every single time I get stressed out, my bowels kind of rebel—I know, that was like too much information, but it's just you and I, eh? Hum. Moving on.<p>

I stared at my reflection and figured I could have used a hot bath. I looked like a mess, tired and anxious as hell. My hair didn't look very wavy anymore and where was my makeup? I looked like a drug addict, with these sunken cheeks and baggy eyes.

I thoroughly washed my hair in the bathtub, using what I considered to be the best shampoo and conditioner in the world—because they were expensive. As the water filled the tub, I detangled my hair and wrapped it in a towel. I dropped a bath bubble ball before getting into the bathtub, reveling in the lavender scent. I still had an hour or so and I never really asked myself why it was so important for me to look good that night.

Well, obviously I needed to be glamorous for this war.

Once I smelled like flowers, I applied moisturizer on my skin and started styling my hair. I wanted beautiful curls so I blow-dried it, used my favorite flat iron, and then parted my hair to the side. Once I was happy with it, I applied some makeup to hide my dark circles, make my eyes look bigger and my lips fuller.

There.

I went in my old bedroom to change and was glad the clothes I packed earlier that day were more classy than casual. I had to look good because damn it, Inuyasha Taisho was about to waltz in here like he owned the place and I needed to kick his ass all the way out—in high heels.

I heard my mother squeal downstairs and the voice of my older sister. I was about to join them when Kikyo was suddenly knocking at my bedroom door. She opened it before I had the chance to say anything.

"Kagome," she spoke softly.

I stood there in my little black dress, looking at her stupidly. I hadn't seen my sister since Christmas, which was six months ago, and she was stunning, as usual. She was wearing a light, white blouse and skinny jeans. She was taller thanks to the heeled ankle boots on her feet but I, too, was wearing heels. Her signature blunt bangs framed her face, which reminded me that long gone were the bangs that covered my eyes back in high school—and darn, I needed to stop comparing myself to her. But even as I stood there wearing a mid-thigh, halter dress with a plunging neckline and the low-fronted shoes I had thrown in a plastic bag earlier that day, I felt like an ugly duckling.

"I missed you!"

Kikyo was hugging me, laughing hysterically and—and—oh, great. She was crying. For a brief moment, I felt like an idiot, plotting against her fiancé and such, because I was happy to see her again, hugging her back and fighting against the tears of joy. I guessed the little e-mail I sent didn't make up for my absence.

"You look great," she said, her brown eyes glinting. "Wow, I guess working for a fashion magazine is better than any makeover." Kikyo suddenly coughed. "Not that you ever needed one, of course."

Right. Thanks, Sis'. "You don't look so bad yourself," I croaked out. "S-so, you're, uh… getting married?" Goodness, did I sound awkward.

Kikyo bobbed her head. "Ash went to buy some wine but I wanted to see you so bad."

Again with that nickname… People, please… Stop.

"Kagome! Let me see that face of yours!" I heard my brother yell before the front door was slammed shut.

I sighed. It was going to be a long night.

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><p>It was ten past eight when the doorbell rang. I was in the kitchen, fixing a tray of appetizers. Mama was so happy her three children were home with their respective soul mates—well, don't mind me, eh—that she really outdid herself. There was a warm, familial atmosphere in the dining room and my grandfather's record player was on, jazz music adding up to the whole scene.<p>

Sota and his girlfriend were sitting on the couch, listening to the tales of Grandpa's youth. I heard my mother greet Inuyasha, Kikyo's giggles and some smooching sounds. _Ugh._ I ignored the way my heart started beating faster when a masculine voice that was neither Sota's nor Grandpa's reached my ears. My stomach churned again and heat rose to my cheeks.

Well, they were all in the living room, right? It was time to show them who Inuyasha Taisho really was. I certainly hadn't forgotten the way he treated me back then, so why would he have? And even if he tried to pretend we were cool after ten years, I was positive Kikyo wouldn't appreciate it. Yeah. As I already said, it was time.

My heels clicked on the floor and I went into the adjacent room.

"Kagome, here you are," Kikyo stated, grinning from ear to ear. "I can't believe this was so delayed. Meet my fiancé, Inuyasha." She turned to the man standing next to her. "Inuyasha, this is my little sister, Kagome."

I was positive I probably looked constipated. (Okay, I shouldn't mention my bowels so often. Sorry about that.)

Inuyasha Taisho had surely changed over the years, I realized. He was like five feet five when we were fifteen and now he was pretty much towering over every member of my family—okay, so we all are kind of short but come _on_, I felt like a midget and I was wearing heels! His hair was still ridiculously long but he had tied it in a neat, low ponytail. The contours of his face were more defined; his nose was taller, his jaw squarer.

And because most of you are probably wondering, _yes_, his slim figure had morphed into a built one. Strong shoulders contrasted his narrow hips and muscular thighs reshaped the cut of his pants. Inuyasha was wearing dark jeans and a royal blue t-shirt. He was currently removing his imitation leather jacket and looking at me with those dark brown eyes of his.

The only thing that was still the same was the intensity that his eyes held. He still looked at me as if he knew something vital to my existence I didn't.

Anyway, there he was. I braced myself when I saw his lips move and—

"Kagome! About time we meet!" he said way too loudly and I was suddenly crushed in a bear hug.

_... Wh-what?_

"You 'on rewemwber me?" came the muffled reply as my face was pressed against his chest.

"What was that?" he asked, finally letting go of me.

"You don't remember me?" I repeated, heart still beating faster. I was probably as red as a tomato, too, though I wasn't exactly sure if anger had something to do with it.

"Kagome…" He sounded embarrassed. "Kunloon said we were classmates." He called my mother by her first name? How much did I miss again? "It's a shame we never spoke to each other, isn't it?"

_... WHAT?_

Okay, let's just press the pause button here.

So I had just pampered myself because all is fair in (love and) war, I was looking good, ready to point my index finger at the guy who called me Me Kago in high school and was now delusional enough to think he would soon marry my sister… And he didn't remember me.

That, or he was just pretending.

My mother probably said something after that fiasco of a "first" encounter because soon we were all sitting down, wine was poured and I was as silent as a grave, fidgeting with the hem of my dress. Inuyasha Taisho didn't remember me.

I know what you guys are thinking. Great, Kagome, this was the opportunity to start over from scratch. The guy seemed nice, he was giving the googly eyes to your sister, your mother and grandfather laughed at his jokes and your brother was staring at him as if he had just met his childhood hero—go ahead, be his friend.

Well, no, that was out of the question. I was still upset over this situation even if I couldn't exactly pinpoint the reason why. So I wasn't the most popular girl in high school but how could anyone forget the girl they tried to piss off on a daily basis? It was both a blow to my ego and an insult—yeah, Inuyasha, you can't call me I Take A Crap then get engaged to my big sister. The least you could do was a) remember that fact and b) apologize. Then, we would see.

"… Right, Kagome?"

Uh? Everyone was looking at me and obviously Gramps just asked me something. Why did I zone out like that again? Because of Inuyasha?

"Sorry, what did you say?" I asked with a sheepish smile.

"You look exhausted," Sota's girlfriend pointed out. "And you're poking at your food. Are you not hungry?"

I barely nodded and Inuyasha repeated Grandpa's question, "He asked you if you're coming with us to see Kaede tomorrow since it's supposed to be your day off."

I threw him a dirty look. "Because what, you're coming too?" I dared not to glance at Kikyo as I said that.

"Of course," Sota answered for him. "We do everything with Inuyasha. Besides, Grandma is pretty fond of him," he explained, placing his left hand on Inuyasha's shoulder.

My eyebrows shot up and the mean retort I had in store died on my lips as my mother suddenly blurted out, "Salad, anyone?"

Kikyo held up her plate. "Please, Mom."

My fingers curled around my knife before I stabbed the salmon my mother cooked with my fork. I pretended the salmon was Inuyasha's toned and warm chest.

… _Where did that come from? Let me try this again._

I pretended the salmon was Inuyasha's chest.

Dinner went by slowly. It was mostly Grandpa doing the talking. Inuyasha played the part of the future grandson-in-law pretty well and everyone else was buying it. Hitomi seemed genuinely interested in getting to know him, asking questions about his job. More often than not, Kikyo would mention the plans they made and my mother was smiling the whole time. Sota occasionally cheered them on and I, well, remained silent. Honestly, I didn't want to be there. I wanted to drink a lot of vodka with my friend Sango and forget about the fact that these people were related to me.

A loud meow startled me and I saw my fat cat Buyo running into the living-slash-dining room. I grinned then patted my thigh. "Buyo! Come here, let's share the fish."

His ears twitched but he didn't look in my direction.

Buyo ran past me and hopped on Inuyasha's lap, purring and clearly begging for some salmon. My jaw dropped and I failed to ignore the look my family was giving me. Sota was actually trying not to snicker at me. My cat was no longer mine.

"It's okay, he hasn't forgotten you," Kikyo's annoying fiancé said in a reassuring tone, "it's just that he's not used to seeing you anymore."

Didn't I know that? "There's a difference between not being used to see me anymore and preferring to purr on your lap."

I was annoyed. I stood up and told my mother I was going to get some sparkling water in the kitchen. While I previously wanted to drive off to Brightdale, I was seriously considering staying another day in Snowhall. Inuyasha snatched my sister, my cat—maybe I could still prevent him from taking my maternal grandmother from me.

I was pouring myself a glass of sparkling water when blasting music reached my ears.

_Oh baby let me know you love me sooo—_

"And then twist again like we did like summer!"

That was definitely Sota.

I rushed back to the living room and dropped my glass of water. It shattered on the floor but the music was playing too loud for anyone to notice. I honestly though my eyes were going to pop out of my head.

Last time I checked, my brother couldn't listen to anything that wasn't remotely close to Linkin Park. But there he was, _twisting_ with Kikyo, who was busting a gut as Inuyasha tried to teach Hitomi and Grandpa was having the time of his life. Of course, Mama was videotaping this.

"Thanks for this vinyl record, son!" Grandpa said to his soon-to-be grandson-in-law.

"Come on, Sis', _this_ is music!" Sota shouted to make sure I heard him as he motioned me to come and join them.

All of sudden, the video camera was in my face. "Kagome, what's wrong?" my mother asked.

I bet she felt concerned. I hadn't eaten anything and my jaw dropped to the floor every ten minutes. _What was wrong? Nothing Mama, especially considering the fact that everyone here lost it and was doing the effin' twist again with the one guy that wouldn't let me stand still and look pretty in high school and pretended not to know me._

"Won't you turn it off?" I scolded my mother, who was really behaving as if she were at the local school recital and her children the actors on stage.

"Come on," Kikyo intervened, "don't be shy. It's just us."

"Yes, Kagome. Let Ash teach you," Hitomi added.

I looked up and saw Inuyasha smirk at me, reaching out for my hand.

I'll have you know I rushed upstairs and locked myself in my bedroom. So much for going to war.

Inuyasha: 8 (Kikyo, Mama, Sota, Grandpa, Hitomi, Buyo, the wine and the twist). Kagome: 0 (I am not sure my fabulous attire intimidated him.)

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><p>*In the original series, Kikyo is older than Inuyasha in human years.<p>

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><p><em><strong>Acknowledgments<strong>_

_Tigra22, Sayurixo, It's Like That, iamthewerepire, smpnst, Softly Spoken Words, InuandKaglove4Life, AnimeGirl143, Wenchster, chelseatygers, Harmony Sunsinger._

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><p><strong>AN:** Hahaha. I'm having so much fun writing this story it should be illegal. Thank you guys for the great feedback I received! I'm glad to know that Kagome's character suits your liking. I never write stories told in the first person so I hope I won't be doing this wrong.

On a side note, someone asked whether I am going to finish _Discarded Hearts_ or not. Well, I am. I spent two weeks revising the whole thing and planning the remaining eight chapters but first, I would like to finish _Uncontrollable_ because _Discarded Hearts_ is a bitch to write for many reasons. But who knows, I might just update it sometime soon. (I'm sorry, I'm really bad at prioritizing and I just start writing when I'm like _THIS IS THE RIGHT MOOD FOR –insert story title here–_.)

Next chapter: hum, Kagome gets her bangs back in the worst possible way, the Taisho family is here and, well, you'll see.

I hope to read from you guys! Keep the reviews coming! Thanks :)


	3. Where That Came From

_"Just My Imagination" © (1999) The Cranberries._

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><p><strong>Chapter Three: Where That Came From<strong>

I was sick.

Well, according to my mother, I was sick and that was the reason why I suddenly left dinner the previous evening. It had to be some early summer sickness. I let her believe that. After all, it was always better than to admit I was uncomfortable around Inuyasha Taisho. Seriously, my mind was filled with images involving Inuyasha Taisho and the whole effin' family doing the twist in the living room. Some things should be illegal.

It was nine in the morning when I finally decided to leave my bedroom in order to take a hot shower before breakfast. We would be going to my grandmother's and that wasn't enough of a good reason to wake up early on my day off—yes, nine in the morning is early in my book.

I went downstairs quietly since I couldn't hear a single noise. Was everybody still asleep? Well, that wasn't so bad—I was only wearing white panties and a loose tank top. I lived alone and I wasn't about to change my habits for a day or two in my mother's house.

I dragged my feet along the floor, my slippers making an awful noise. Then, I heard somebody flush the toilet and I froze. Hum, according to Bayes' Law… _Let's see; what was the probability P(A|B) of "A assuming B", or in this case, the probability of Inuyasha Taisho being the one using the bathroom assuming everyone in the house had a tiny bladder?_

_Wait, no. That's not the likelihood-ratio test. I think._

I didn't even get to actually do the math because Inuyasha Taisho was standing in front of the bathroom door and he was wearing a pair of black boxers. That's right, he was mostly naked and my brain couldn't properly function, let alone apply Bayes' Law.

"Good morning Kagome," he said, an embarrassed smile on his face he had to be faking. "Are you feeling any better?"

"Why are you up? Shouldn't you be having hot morning sex with my sister?" was my not-so-smart retort.

Okay, first of all, I really should think twice before I open my mouth. Second of all, why did I automatically assume sex with Inuyasha was hot? Why did I even think of Inuyasha having sex? Was it because he was standing there and showing off his toned body and my bowels were letting me know I was nervous?

_Uh, what toned body? Shut up, brain! Quit it, bowels! Kagome, poke your eyes out! Stop staring!_

Then I saw it for the second time in less than twenty-four hours; Inuyasha's evil smirk.

"Well, we did have _hot sex_," he responded, emphasizing the words I previously used, "but when you're done doing the deed, you sometimes need to use the bathroom."

He walked past me to go upstairs, where Kikyo's bedroom was. At this point, I need to point out the fact that I didn't turn around to check his boxer-clad butt. I swear I didn't.

"Nice panties, by the way," Inuyasha added.

I did turn around then but I wasn't lucky; he had already disappeared upstairs. I mean, _he_ was lucky he had already disappeared so I didn't get to kick his sorry ass for that comment.

Since I forgot my cell phone in my old bedroom, I couldn't play my favorite shower music. The quick, _cold_ shower I had to take put me in a grumpy mood and I even failed to draw even lines with my black, liquid eyeliner to make my almond-shaped eyes look bigger and my lashes fuller. Well, I would just be paying my grandmother a visit. There was no need to look overly glamorous, right? Right.

* * *

><p>We arrived at my grandmother's at noon. Kaede "Maples" Kyoda is my mother's mother. Everyone calls her either Grandma or Maples because Kaede means maple in Japanese but she left her homeland when she was about ten years old so the nickname probably comes from her ignorant classmates. That is just my interpretation, of course.<p>

Inuyasha had been the one driving Kikyo's five-door five-seater compact SUV, which I found annoying since I don't see why anyone would drive _my_ car if I were sober enough to do it myself. I had wanted to tell Kikyo something along the lines of, "you have a license; use it!" but I really hadn't been in the mood for some feminist talk. Besides, it was the kind of argument I would have been losing since my grandfather is a traditionalist, his daughter-in-law a stay-at-home mom and Inuyasha… Well, I didn't know at the time and didn't particularly care.

The sweet scent of tomato risotto reached my nostrils as soon as we got out of the car and my stomach growled, the clear indication that I hadn't had breakfast, just like every morning. Grandma was already waiting for us at the door and when I noticed Hitomi's four-passenger city car in the driveway, I realized that she and Sota had just arrived. I was actually surprised that Sota didn't use his bicycle for once. The kid is just so disgustingly eco-friendly…

I rushed to greet the seventy-year-old woman with long, grey hair tied back in a low ponytail because no matter how grumpy I was, I couldn't deny that I missed her. It was in those moments that a part of me regretted the fact that I distanced myself from my family. They were good people who always encouraged me and never criticized me for my mistakes. But maybe I am just a loner at heart.

"Kagome, it's been a while," my grandmother pointed out and kissed my left cheek.

I hugged her and was about to say something sweet, grinning from ear to ear when someone shoved me to the side.

"Maples!" Inuyasha exclaimed, his black hair so long it whipped around my face.

_The nerve of this guy…_ I was furious. I am pretty sure the vein in my forehead was throbbing as if I were some manga character. Inuyasha was hugging my short, bulky grandmother as if she fed him choux pastry when he was five. Soon, my grandmother was laughing, congratulating Kikyo on her hair, handing compliments to my mother for her new outfit and asking my grandfather about his health.

"The lab tests were just fine, Maples," my grandfather answered. "How about you? Is everything okay here?"

"Oh, well, I guess so. I am just looking after the house and I was trying to glue on the kitchen wall this pin board I bought the other day."

"Maples, you shouldn't do this by yourself," Inuyasha pointed out with a sickening, sweet voice.

I swore this guy was faking it; there was no other way. "I'll do it, Grandma," I finally intervened, forcing myself to keep smiling.

My grandmother chuckled before she stepped inside the house. "This way," she indicated as if we weren't family but somewhat important guests.

I immediately followed her, only to find myself stuck between the wooden door frame and Inuyasha, who reacted at the same time as me. Since he was stuck as well, we glanced at each other—no, we actually glared at each other because the lovely guy who was pulling off the perfect fiancé act was no longer there and I wasn't imagining it! He stood there, his bicep pushing against my shoulder and it was beginning to hurt. Ignoring my mother's giggles behind me, I planted my right heel on his left foot and made my way inside as I heard him curse under his breath.

Hypocrite. Maybe he didn't remember my face but he was definitely not as nice as he pretended to be. Okay, I am not a piece of cake either but at least, I wasn't trying to be someone I would never, ever be.

Grandmother Kaede—or Maples, whatever, really—chatted away as we all followed her into the kitchen, where Sota and his girlfriend were having Japanese tea and keeping an eye on the meal that grandmother was cooking for lunch. She explained that she was currently renting one of the bedrooms to a seventeen-year-old college student, some kind of genius she said, and that they actually got along pretty well. His name was Shippo and he was studying upstairs but apparently, he would be joining us for lunch.

"So where is the pin board?" Inuyasha asked, his coffee brown eyes darting around.

Sota pointed at the empty chair beside him. I think I was flying at some point because no one had the time to blink and I was suddenly holding the pin board, asking for the glue I needed. Today, I still don't know why my grandmother wanted to glue the damn thing. It would have been easier—and less risky—to just nail it but I failed to ask her the question back then. My mother wasn't paying attention to me or to anyone for that matter and decided she had better lay the table. My sister and brother went to help her and soon enough, everyone was in the dining room except me, my grandmother—because she wasn't done cooking—and Inuyasha—because he was evil.

"Let me do this, Kagome," the Devil insisted as he refused to hand me the glue my grandmother had left on the kitchen counter.

"She is _my_ grandmother," I hissed.

"Seriously, Kagome?"

I ignored him when he huffed and mumbled something that had to be an insult. I wasn't exaggerating. Something was up and I trusted my gut. Some would say that I was being difficult, paranoid even, and that the guy was losing his patience because I wasn't making any effort to become his friend so I'll just get to the point and lay out the _facts_.

I applied glue on the back of the pin board, some on the corners and some in the center. It was supposed to be super duper glue so when the pin board fell as soon as I stopped pressing it against the wall, I got mad. My grandmother sighed and suggested I let Inuyasha do it, which didn't help at all. I squeezed the tube hard and I emptied half of the contents on the wall. I pressed the pin board against the wall again.

It fell.

"Kagome, what's going on?" I heard Kikyo ask from the living room.

"Nothing!" I roared. _Damn it, this is just a stupid board…_ "Inuyasha, hand me hammer. Let's nail the stupid thing already."

Although he remained silent, I could practically hear him roll his eyes at me. I was shaking my head at the darkened spot on the wall and waiting for Inuyasha to reach for the hammer in the toolbox my grandmother had placed by his feet before I actually got started. Looking back, I have the feeling that she knew the glue wouldn't work so why suggest it in the first place?

All of sudden, something that felt both strong and soft pushed against my butt and then my face was pressed against the wall, right on the spot where I was trying to glue the pin board. I screamed and screamed and _screamed_ again, all the while realizing several things: that strong and soft something had been Inuyasha's own butt, he had been standing dangerously close to me, my right cheek was burning, my hair was ruined and—

"Grandma Kaede, what's going on?" a redhead asked upon entering the kitchen.

The young genius was there, looking at me with wide eyes, just like my family.

"My God, Kagome, what happened?" I heard my mother ask.

I was too busy screaming and sobbing to answer.

"Oh, come on, how old are you?" Inuyasha chimed in. I heard him search through the toolbox before he spoke again. "You could have just let me do it in the first place."

He was coming closer, holding something in his right hand but I couldn't see what it was since my hair was curtaining the sides of my face. Every time I moved, more hair got stuck in glue. Still, I wasn't letting him scold me as if I were a stubborn kid (I wasn't, really).

"I—"

_Cut. Cutcut. Cutcutcutcutcut._

"There ya go."

I was suddenly free. I think my mother gasped, as well as Kikyo. Sota was laughing, obviously, and it took thirty seconds, I think, for me to realize what happened.

I went back to screaming. Turning to face Inuyasha, who was holding a pair of scissors in his right hand, I let it all go. "ARE YOU CRAZY, YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE?! HOW DARE YOU CUT MY HAIR WITHOUT A WARNING! I HATE YOU, I HATE YOU SO MUCH—I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU ARE THIS STUPID!"

"Are you out of your fucking mind?!" he eventually interrupted my tirade. "Bitch, I fucking saved the right side of your face! Five more seconds and—"

"Kagome—"

"Inuyasha—"

My mother and Kikyo's attempts were of no use.

"And these two are supposed to get married?" the seventeen-year-old boy asked my grandmother as he helped her carry the extra large saucepan filled with risotto goodness.

"You got the wrong Higurashi!" I snapped, immediately feeling sorry for the boy for taking it out on him, too.

I stomped upstairs but I didn't fail to realize that _that_ particular sentence also shut Inuyasha up. I was already in the bathroom when I heard him yell back, "Yeah, well thank God for small mercies!"

_Asshole._

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><p>I had been staring at my reflection for at least fifteen minutes. She was back. The girl that hid her eyes behind thick, rounded bangs in high school was back.<p>

It was eight in the evening already. I had spent most part of the afternoon in the bathroom. My mother had even brought some risotto upstairs. She was the only one aware of the fact that I was strongly upset and didn't bug me with questions or anything. She had just wanted me to eat. I was still holding a small pair of scissors in my hands but I put it back in the pharmacy mirror when Hitomi knocked on the door, telling me that we had guests and that Grandma was greeting them.

"I'm coming," I replied softly.

I could still remember the fat tears that had rolled down my cheeks when I first looked in the mirror after Inuyasha ruined my haircut. I know it probably sounds childish; hair grows back, blah blah blah, but I simply thought that too many things had occurred in less than twenty-four hours. Besides, he didn't cut my hair with minimal damage—oh no, he just grabbed what he could and cut what wasn't curled around his fingers. _Asshole. Asshole, asshole, asshole._ The left side had been spared but the right one? My long hair had been reduced to shoulder-length hair and thick locks covered my face, some of them not even reaching past my cheekbone.

So it was eight o'clock, the Taisho family was downstairs and I hadn't known we were all supposed to have dinner together until sometime during the afternoon. I took a deep breath, glancing one last time at my reflection. Wavy, raven hair that went a couple inches past my shoulders and rounded bangs covering my forehead. Hm. Well, hair grows back, right? I was definitely having vodka the following day with Sango, lots and lots of it. Liters of vodka, damn it.

As soon as I stepped into the living room, a middle-aged woman with very long and very dark hair and brown highlights grinned at me and hugged me, her coffee brown eyes reminding me of someone I wanted to strangle. She was slightly taller than me and she was wearing what seemed to be a very expensive, black and white woman suit.

"Oh, I am so glad to finally meet you, Kikyo!"

WOAH. Someone got the wrong Higurashi, _again_.

"Izayoi, you're squeezing the girl to death!" an older man with equally long but silver hair and dazzling golden eyes beamed.

Another man stood behind this woman who was squeezing the crap out of me. He, too, had long silver hair and golden eyes. Both men were extremely pale and I couldn't choose between comparing them to vampires or to albinos, though the second option was probably more common than the first one. Or maybe not. You never know with all the TV shows you see lately.

"I am Kikyo," my sister finally intervened.

Izayoi let go of me almost instantly, her dark eyes studying both my older sister and me. Needless to say, we were both freaked out and stiff as a board. "Oh," was the curt reply. She sounded disappointed but maybe it was just my imagination.

_There was a game we used to play, we would hit the town on Friday night—_well, damn, now The Cranberries are stuck in my head.

"I'm Kagome," I promptly added, noticing from the corner of my eye that Inuyasha just entered the living room.

"Kagome!" this Izayoi woman hurt my ears again. "I heard a lot about you!"

In the blink of an eye, everyone went silent. My own family was staring at us. Surely no one understood what was going on. How come _I _was getting all the attention? I wasn't the bride-to-be and the bridesmaid wasn't the person the amazing fiancé's mother should be eager to meet.

Unless we were in a porno. And we weren't.

Inuyasha was suddenly standing next to her, elbowing her arm and looking everywhere but at me.

"In the magazines, I mean," his mother quietly added, her eyes glinting and freaking me out some more. "You are getting a lot of attention lately."

"Right." I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

Thankfully, my grandmother announced she had this outstanding bottle of French wine and everyone gathered around her. Kikyo didn't budge and hooked arms with me. She looked worried and a lot less confident than usual, as if the past two minutes with Mrs. Taisho had been a failed college presentation.

"Kagome, you need to help me here," she whispered to me.

"Huh?"

"Izayoi likes you. Make her like me, too." She wetted her already glossy lips, and then she went on, "Mom and everyone else like Ash because he has spent a lot of time with us before we actually got engaged but his family was always abroad and this is really the first time that we can have a face-to-face conversation."

Kikyo didn't wait for an answer and just squeezed my hand before she mingled with the guests.

I stood there like an idiot, wondering what I could do to help her. I sighed so loudly it was a wonder no one turned around to give me a disapproving look.

"Sorry, sometimes my mother gets so ecstatic."

I jumped slightly, not having realized that Inuyasha had barely moved since his mother mentioned the current aggravations of my job.

"That's my old man, Toga Taisho," he pointed at the older silver-haired man, "and that guy who is giving the cold shoulder to everyone is my half-brother Sesshomaru. I think his girlfriend is coming as well but she is probably stuck in traffic jams."

It was nice of him to help me catch up but I didn't tell him as much.

"I'm still not talking to you, _Ash_." I used the silly nickname to mock him. "I'm sure what you did can be considered as bodily harm or assault, at least."

He snorted, wiping his palms on his crimson button-down shirt. "You always looked better with bangs," he stated before he went to pour himself a glass of wine.

_Yeah, right._ I shook my head, trying hard not to make childish gagging noises as Kikyo kissed his cheek when his mother was looking.

I moved to join everyone else, having mostly gotten over the fact that I was being fed the whole schmeer of BS when I didn't even ask for it in the first place. That is to say, I didn't think I really deserved such bad luck. Or did I?

I shrugged, briefly catching the sight of Inuyasha smirking at me as he pretended to listen to whatever it was that Sota was saying. _Asshole,_ I mentally repeated for the umpteenth time. _How would he know that I look better with bangs, anyway? Mr. I-Had-Funny-Nicknames-For-You-But-I-Can't-Remember-Your-Face—_

And that was when it hit me. I know I've said it before; I am slow, but let me say it again: I. Am. Slow.

I dropped the bottle, expensive and tasty wine spilling on the lovely tablecloth.

_That…bastard! He has been pretending the entire time!_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Acknowledgments<strong>_

_Softly Spoken Words, iamthewerepire, InuandKaglove4life, Warm-Amber92, Sayurixo, Grumpy DelSan13, kittychic0895, kagome past and present, SkittlesKitty, Wenchster, chelseatygers, woahbob._

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><p><strong>AN:** Hehe. I know, it's been over a month since my last update but I have a lot going on these days and I try to finish the chapters I started writing last month. Sometimes it's just hard though and I feel like sleeping.

I thought about changing the hair and eye colors when I introduced Toga and Sesshomaru but in the end, yeah, they're still albino looking because as unrealistic as silver hair and golden eyes are, no one thinks about changing Kagura's features for example when she turns into a human for AU purposes even though her eyes are red so I figured, why bother?

Anyway, thank you guys for the constant support! _Man Like That_ was chosen to be Eternal Destiny's featured fiction last month, which made me _so_ happy! Thanks everyone! By the way, sorry for the mistakes that I forgot to correct but I'm passing out here.

And if you liked this chapter, please review!


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